An informal meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping took place in the Kremlin

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an informal meeting in the Kremlin.

In the open part of the speech, Putin congratulated Xi on his re-election to the post of the head of the People’s Republic of China. “In recent years, China has made a colossal leap forward in its development. This is causing genuine interest all over the world, and we even envy you a little,” Putin said.

The Russian president added that he carefully studied Beijing’s proposals to settle Russia’s war with Ukraine. According to Putin, the Russian authorities are open to the negotiation process.

Xi Jinping said that he chose Russia as the first country of his foreign visit after his re-election to the post of the head of the People’s Republic of China. “I know that the next presidential election will be held in your country next year. Thanks to your strong leadership in recent years, Russia has achieved significant success in achieving results and the prosperity of the country. I am sure that the Russian people will strongly support you in your good initiatives”, – said Sy.

The press secretary of the President of Russia, Dmitry Peskov, clarified that Xi Jinping did not speak about Putin’s participation in the 2024 presidential elections. “President Xi expressed his confidence that the Russians will support Putin, and we can only share his confidence here,” Peskov said.

Xi Jinping’s visit will last three days – until March 22. Official negotiations will be held on Tuesday, March 21. They will be held in narrow and extended formations.

The Kremlin previously confirmed that, in addition to bilateral issues, Putin and Xi will discuss the plan for a peaceful settlement around Ukraine proposed by Beijing. The document contains 12 points, including a ceasefire, the start of peace talks, respect for sovereignty and the end of unilateral sanctions.